As the price of gasoline increases, more people are turning to other modes of transportation as an economical alternative. However, users of public transportation systems may experience inconvenience and inefficiencies in this form of travel. For example, when a user needs to catch a bus or train car in a bus system or subway/train system (either a particular bus/train car, or any bus/train car during some specified interval), the user typically has to wait at a bus stop or train station. A user would ideally arrive at a bus stop or train station with sufficient time to board, but without a long wait time. Although public transportation systems usually attempt to run on a schedule, individual buses or trains are often not on schedule.
Even a discrepancy of a few minutes can result in a user missing a bus or train and waiting a longer period of time for the next bus or train. Users may also not judge accurately the amount of time needed to travel to the stop or station, and either arrive too early or too late, which results in longer wait times and longer total commuting times.